True, however, HF reception is extremely dependent on solar activity and ionospheric conditions. These vary a lot and in fact, have not been all that great recently (and for a few years already). So that is one thing that needs to be taken into account.

As far as radio in general, antenna is key in any band, regardless of your basic setup. In some ways, VHF/UHF is easier to work with because the proper antenna length is short and easy to manage. If you can get to a higher altitude, hopefully with a clear field of view, it will improve reception by an incredible margin. Even a cheap, low powered 0.5W PMR/FRS radio can reach out well beyond 50 miles under ideal conditions. In fact, the current PMR long-distance record is 333 miles. (Not that I would ever count on that sort of performance, but it does happen.)

HF on the other hand requires a very long antenna to work well. Now, even a 100ft spool of wire suspended on poles or trees will do fine for starters, but it is not very practical if you're on the move. So for really good long range performance HF reception works best with a stationary setup. And alas, only at night. During the daylight hours a basic multiband/HF receiver might have a pretty hard time picking up anything useful.